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User blog:Unchapped/Politickin'
We arrived in Aofie's Stand to a flurry of messages from all quarters. Apparently after that Damn fool Ivellios slipped the rumor of a Lich at the Banquet, Aofie herself got the tomfool idea to go scout over the Eastern passes herself. She gathered up the elite leadership of the Longstriders and skipped town. Now, the Orange Company, the Slatebacks, and the Longstriders have fallen into a dispute as to who should be the proper governor of the town in her absence. Ruger wants to settle his base of operations here on a more permanent basis, since so many of his men fell to defend this place, but wants a say in governance. He's pushing for a fully representative council over the area, but Bran Graniteshield is unwilling to surrender any part of Longstrider control in the town. Ruger claims he was in discussions to share leadership with Aofie before her departure, but Bran refuses to admit the legitimacy of the talks, and fears being seen as the one who sold the town whilst Aofie was away. In recognition of our help in defending the town during the undying attacks, Both have requested my help as an impartial mediator to help resolve the matter. On top top of that fight, many of the other groups are vying to protect their interests in town. The Heralds are in town, and would like to reinforce and defend the route between Lisrim's Landing and the Stand. However, Anton is unwilling to take an active stance in negotiations. They see the situation (quite rightly) as a powder keg ready to blow, and they fear internal reprisals, should any negotiations go poorly. I'm hoping that a mercantile coalition between the Slatebacks, Deathwater Suppliers and Crystal Heralds could provide an impartial front for their interests in the region, and normalize river trade along the watercourse. Defending such a coalition would also provide a useful task for the Orange Company, which may help legitimize their presence here, and allay the Longstrider fears of a military takeover by the larger force. Ivellios brings me word that the Druids in the region are making noises about limiting the expansion of the town. Apparently many of their ranks view the Grey Death as a blessing in disguise. They believe that the fall of Tenebris has returned the continent to a state of nature, which should be protected from re-settlement. Hell, and I thought Ivellios was a pompous, meddlesome fool, his "betters" are even more difficult than he is. There may be a possible compromise that may work though. Having some druids to help nuture and cultivate agricultural land was considered a great blessing under the old Empire, to the point where the Auroran Worship of Agan was bound hand and foot to the Druidic practitioners, though no priest would ever admit that publicly. If we can garner Druidic blessing for cultivation here, the larger population of Aofie's stand could be supported, with a smaller parcel of land to defend from undead attack. Ivellios even tells me that they may be able to build an enchanted living wall, far superior to the staked ramparts we constructed during the siege, or the shield wall that surrounds Lisrim's landing. It will take some hard bargaining, but I may be able to convince the druids to step out from their coven, and take an active interest in nurturing the growth of the town, to defend the balance of nature. And as we know, a full belly always keeps the populace in check. I tried to appeal to the priory of Daybreak to help temper the discussions, but the abbot there is still stuck in an Imperial mindset, he would like nothing better than a full return to the power and control of the Regnium Aurora, but is unwilling to accept any other forms of power. I had hoped that the monks would be a calming influence in the political process, but their backwards and inflammatory ideas risk blowing the lid off of the whole negotiation. I suspect the prior has quite a thing for Aofie too, which makes him uncomfortably loyal. I wonder, do the followers of Lumentrix take a vow of Celibacy (in my experience, this is always a recipe for frustration and disaster)? I prefer the ways of the wanderer, we have no such scruples (Though we are dwarves, there are always limits to our free spiritedness). Although I am still reeling from the blow of my banishment, I must admit that it is good to have a task to take my mind off of things. It's nice to be needed here. Who knows, I may even find a home here, while the comfort of Khaz-Zhuf is denied me. Category:Blog posts